


Out of the Blue

by gothamgirl28



Series: Mood Indigo [1]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: 1930s, 2x08 AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-12 22:51:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3358265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothamgirl28/pseuds/gothamgirl28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Formby August 1936. Sixteen year old Sybbie Branson saves a life, which leads to the unexpected revealing of a family secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is based on a prompt I received from The Yankee Countess on tumblr. The prompt was rescue.

Formby  
Friday, 21 August 1936

Sybbie Branson was sitting on the beach, reading her father's old copy of James Connolly's  _Labour in Irish History_. Every ten minutes, she would look up and check on her younger brothers and sisters, as well as her younger cousins.

She sighed as she finished another chapter. While she was enjoying her visit to Liverpool to see her Uncle Kieran, Aunt Sharon, and her four younger cousins, she missed London and her parents. She wished they were here with her and not back home.  _Though dad's still in Egypt covering the treaty negotiations. At least mum will be arriving later today._

Sybbie went back to her book, not wanting to think about how much she missed her parents. After about five minutes, she decided she needed a break and put the book down. Sybbie stretched and looked out at the sea.

She was gazing at the sea for several minutes when she noticed a swimmer struggling. Without hesitation, Sybbie bolted up and ran into the water. She swiftly swam to the swimmer, a blonde boy about her age. She wrapped one arm around the swimmer and began to swim back to the shore.

Once there, Sybbie was assisted by her uncle and her younger brother, Tommy. They helped her pull in the young boy. After they laid him on the beach, she asked if he was okay.

Coughing, he answered, "Yes. I got a cramp. Thank you for saving me."

Sybbie smiled. "You're very welcome."

"What's your name?" asked the boy.

"Sybil Katherine Branson, but everybody calls me Sybbie."

"I'm George Crawley."


	2. Chapter 2

Formby  
Friday, 21 August 1936

Mary and Robert rushed to the shoreline, anxious to find out if George was all right. On seeing her only child was standing and seemingly okay, Mary hurried over to him, needing to ensure he was fine. She rushed past the young woman standing with her son, only taking in her dark hair and blue bathing suit.

Robert, being seventy years old, lagged behind his oldest daughter. He sighed with relief when he saw that George was okay, though the teenager seemed annoyed by his mother's attentions.

Taking a breath, he asked, "Who do I thank for saving my grandson's life?"

A blonde haired boy, roughly the same age as George, who looked familiar to Robert, answered, pointing to the girl next to him. "My sister Sybbie."

"Thank you, Syb-" he stopped speaking, seeing the young lady in full.  _It can't be. She looks just like Sybil._

At that moment, an older gentleman, in his fifties and bearing a resemblance to his former chauffeur, came up behind the young girl and wrapped a protective arm around her. On hearing the last name Crawley, Kieran suspected that the boy was related to his sister-in-law. His suspicions were confirmed when the elder man stopped speaking and stared at his niece as if he'd just seen a ghost. It was known amongst the Branson family that Sybbie was the spitting image of her mother. Kieran knew from the age of the man before him that this was Sybil's father.  _The bastard_ , he thought.

Sybbie looked at her uncle, confused about his behavior. While he was an affectionate uncle to her and her four younger siblings, Sybbie had never seen him act so protective before. She eyed the elderly man before her, wondering what it was about him that made her uncle so concerned.

She opened her mouth to ask a question when the George's mother gasped. "Oh!"

Sybbie turned towards her and saw the same expression on the woman's face as the older man. "Is everything all right, ma'am?"

The woman just nodded her head and gave the other man an odd look.

Kieran decided to take control of the situation. "I'm glad your son and grandson is no worse for the wear. However, it's time for us to leave and return home. Have a good day."

With that, he ushered his niece and nephew back to where the rest of the Branson clan was sitting. Tommy and Sybbie looked at each other, questioning Uncle Kieran's behavior. When they got back to their aunt, cousins, and siblings, their uncle gently ordered them to pack up. Then he pulled his wife aside.

"We need to leave right now. The boy Sybbie saved was a Crawley."

Sharon rolled her eyes at her husband. "Not every Crawley in England is related to Sybil."

"True," he responded, "but judging by the looks the boy's mother and grandfather gave Sybbie, I'd say that they're Sybil's older sister and father."

"Oh dear. She's arriving on the evening train. She won't like this."

Kieran nodded. "I know, but I'll not keep it from her."

* * *

 

_Three hours later_

Liverpool Central Railway Station

Sybil Branson emerged from her train feeling tired, but excited to see her children after a week away from them. She turned when she heard an excited chorus of cries of "Mum!" and "Aunt Sybil!"

She squealed when she saw her children, running up to them, and pulling them into a fierce hug. As she let them go, she picked up the youngest, three year old Connie, and held her tight. Sybil then went up to her brother- and sister-in-law, kissing them on the cheek.

"Thank you for taking care of them this week. With Tom away and the night shifts I had to cover this week, I was glad that I didn't have to leave them on thier own."

Sharon smiled at her sister-in-law. "It wasn't a problem. Your brood may be rambunctious, but Sybbie was such a huge help. She reminds me of you."

Sybil smiled at the compliment. Sharon gave her husband a look. "Kieran needs to talk to you about something important. I'll take Connie while you two talk."

Sybil nodded, concerned about what Kieran was going to tell her. Thankfully, Connie made minimal fuss about leaving her mother's arms. Once Sharon had a hold of her, she gathered the children to have them walk back to the Branson home several streets away.

Kieran sighed. "Let me take your suitcase."

Before she could protest, he picked it up and held out his arm for Sybil to take. She took it and the two began to walk, following behind the nine Branson cousins and Sharon.

In a low voice, she asked, "What did you want to tell me?"

Kieran took a deep breath. "We went to Formby this morning. While we were there, Sybbie rescued a young boy around her age."

Sybil gasped. "How is he?"

"He's fine. B-"

"That's great! I'm so proud of Sybbie." Sybil laughed. "The way you and Sharon were acting, I thought something bad happened."

Kieran stopped walking and looked Sybil straight in the eye. "The boy she saved is George Crawley and going by the looks his mother and grandfather gave your daughter, who is the spitting image of you, I would assume they were your father and sister."

Sybil sucked in her breath. The pain of that April night seventeen years ago was still with her.

_Tom entered the Drawing Room, a bit nervous, though it was only apparent to her. "I'm here."_

_She rose from her seat and walked over to her fiancée. She started to let her nerves get the better of her. "I don't think this is such a good idea. We mustn't worry Granny."_

_"You've asked me to come, and I've come."_

_Her grandmother of course wanted to speed things along. "Would someone please tell me what is going on, or have we all stepped through the looking glass?"_

_Tom looked at her and said, "Your grandmother has as much right to know as anybody else."_

_"Why don't I find that reassuring?" her grandmother queried._

_Sybil took a deep breath and took Tom's hand in hers. Her father's eyes nearly popped out of his skull when he saw the gesture._

_"Tom has asked me to marry him and I've accepted his proposal."_

_Papa couldn't hold back his shock. "What do you mean you've accepted his proposal?"_

_She didn't hesitate in her response. "We've fallen in love and we're getting married._

_"You can't be serious!"_

_Mary stood up at that moment, hoping to calm down their father. "I knew you wouldn't like this, papa. I tried-"_

_Papa interrupted, anger and shock in his voice. "What do you mean, "you knew"?"_

_"I hoped it would blow over. I didn't want to split the family when Sybil might still wake up."_

_Papa turned back to Tom and her, focusing all of his anger at fiancée. "And all this time, you've been driving me about, bowing and scraping and seducing my daughter behind my back?"_

_Sybil and Tom both stiffened at his words. For Sybil, it felt as though her father had smacked her across the face. As always, Tom would not let that insult towards them both pass. "I don't bow and scrape! And I've not seduced anyone! Give your daughter some credit for knowing her own mind!"_

_As usual, her father couldn't stand anyone standing up to him. "How dare you speak to me in that tone. You will leave at once."_

_She exclaimed, "Oh, Papa!"_

_But he wasn't listening. "This is a folly! A ridiculous, juvenile madness!"_

_Surprisingly, her grandmother intervened, holding up her hand to get everyone's attention. "Sybil, what do you have in mind?"_

_"Mama, this is hardly-"_

_She again held up her hand, not caring for her son's hysterics. "No. She must have something in mind. Otherwise, she wouldn't have summoned him here tonight."_

_Sybil exhaled, grateful for her grandmother in that moment. "Thank you, Granny. Yes, we do have a plan. Tom's got a job on a paper. I'll stay until after the wedding; I don't want to steal their thunder." She gestured toward Matthew and Lavinia. "But after that, I'll go to Dublin."_

_Her mother finally spoke. "To live with him? Unmarried?"_

_"I'll live with his mother while the bans are read. And then we'll be married," she and Tom gazed into each other's eyes, "and I'll get a job as a nurse."_

_Granny asked, "What does your mother make of this?"_

_Tom was honest, though his voice betrayed his annoyance. "If you must know, she thinks we're very foolish."_

_Granny chuckled. "So at least we have something in common."_

_Papa turned around and marched towards Sybil and Tom, stopping in the center of the room, commanding attention from everyone. "I won't allow it! I will not allow my daughter to throw away her life! It's either him or us, Sybil!"_

_You could hear a pin drop in the room._

_Tom turned his head toward Sybil, taking her in, seeing her pain. She took a breath and tightened her grip on Tom's hand, readying herself to say the words that needed to be said. "Then I choose Tom."_

_She looked around the room at her mother, sisters, and grandmother. "I love you all very much, but not at the expense of my own happiness."_

_Mary looked at Sybil and pleaded, "Sybil, please think this through. If you leave, you will be breaking up the family."_

_Sybil stood straighter at her sister's words. She looked her straight in the eye. "I'm not the one breaking the family up. I didn't give the ultimatum."_

_Mary stiffened. "How will he take care of you?"_

_The younger sister rolled her eyes. "There's more to being take cared of than possessing a ridiculous amount of money. We'll take care of each other."_

_She went around the room, kissing her mother, grandmother, and Edith on the cheeks. Sybil approached the door of the drawing room. "Goodbye."_

_Sybil looked at Tom and together they left the room. Once in the hallway, she turned to him and pulled him close. After a few minutes, she told him to give her twenty minutes to pack._

_"We'll meet at the gate."_

_Tom nodded and left the house. She hurried up the stairs and finished packing up. Acting on the cautious side, Sybil had started to pack her bags before dinner. She was bringing the necessities as she knew carrying a trunk was out of the question. Her only luxuries were her five favorite books and her jupes-culottes, and the last one was more for Tom. She added in her toiletries and a few other odds and ends before closing her cases._

_Once she was done, Sybil gave her room a once over. She thought she would be sad, but the room and this house hadn't felt like home in a long time. She put on her hat and coat, grabbed her purse and suitcases and left the room. When she reached the gates, there was Tom, patiently waiting for her as always._

_He gave her a soft look. "Are you sure about this, love?"_

_She blinked back the tears she had been holding back. "Yes. I'm heartbroken to lose my family, but a future without you hurts even more. Let's go."_

_He picked up one of her suitcases and held out his hand to her. They began the walk to the village in silence. Finally, Sybil broke it._

_"When do you want to leave for Ireland?"_

_"We can wait a few days to let things calm down. Your parents might come around."_

_She sighed. "Perhaps, but I doubt it." She halted her steps, forcing Tom to stop as well. "I think we should leave tomorrow for Liverpool and take the overnight ferry to Dublin."_

_He looked at her, torn between agreeing and wanting to make sure she was sure._

_Sybil smiled tenderly at him. "I'm sure, Tom. As I said to you when I accepted your proposal, it's time to move forward."_

_He leaned in and kissed her chastely on the lips. With that, they began their walk again, talking the entire time. They reached the village fifteen minutes later and got a room for Sybil at The Grantham Arms._

_The next morning, the couple checked out to take a train to Liverpool, briefly stopping at Crawley House. Sybil bade farewell to Isobel and at the older woman's insistence, left the address for Tom's mother's home._

_Isobel escorted them to the train station, where they caught the noon train to Liverpool. By eight that night, they were on the ferry for Dublin._

Sybil looked at Kieran. "Oh God!"


	3. Chapter 3

**The Adelphi Hotel**   
**Liverpool, Late Afternoon**

The ride back from Formby was quiet and tense. Mary kept eyeing her father, worried about him as he sat there looking troubled. She knew he was replaying that April night from seventeen years before over and over in his head. When she wasn't checking on her father, Mary herself was reflecting on the past, wondering about her younger sister's life these past seventeen years.  _How many children did she have? She knew there were two, the girl and the boy from the beach, but were there others? Where were they living? What was Sybil's life like now?_

As his mother and grandfather sat in silence, keeping their own counsel, George was wondering about his mother's and grandfather's reactions to the girl who saved him.  _Sybbie Branson. What is it about you that caused such shocked looks?_  He knew something was amiss, but knew from past experience that he should wait until they were back in their hotel room to ask.

After a half hour drive in silence, the three Crawleys arrived back at their hotel. As soon as they emerged from the car, Robert turned to Mary. "I'm going to talk to your mother. I'll see you both at dinner." With that, he walked into the hotel.

Mary sighed as she watched her father stroll away. She knew the conversation he was going to have with her mother was going to be a rough one. Her parents' marriage hadn't been the same since that night. Though they remained together, she knew that they slept separately more often than not and that they both took separate trips now.

Turning to her son, she asked, "Shall we?"

He nodded and followed his mother into the hotel. They made their way to the lift and soon were hurling upwards towards the top floor. Once they emerged from the lift and walked the short distance to their room, Mary and George opened the door to see Matthew sitting and reading the paper.

George smiled and shouted, "Father!"

Matthew looked up and smiled. "How are you, my boy?"

"I'm good, considering."

"Considering what?"

Mary interjected, "Considering he nearly drowned because he got a cramp from swimming too soon after lunch."

George rolled his eyes. "Mama," he whined. "I'm fine. That's the least interesting thing that happened."

Matthew chuckled. "What could be more interesting than you almost drowning?"

"Sybil's daughter saved his life."

Matthew, George, and Mary turned sharply to see an upset Cora standing in the open doorway to her and Robert's room, with her husband standing behind her.

George was the first to speak. "I'm confused. The girl's name was Sybil. Who is this Sybil your talking of?"

Cora looked at her grandson, sadness in her eyes. "Your aunt."

The young boy's eyes widened. "But I only have one aunt. Aunt Edith who lives in New York."

"You have two aunts. Your grandfather disowned Sybil seventeen years ago."

George sat down, as did his mother. He noticed how tense she was and began to observe the other members of his family. His grandfather still had that troubled look on his face, but there were traces of stubbornness there too. His father looked sad and sheepish. However, it was his grandmother's face which hit him the hardest. She looked absolutely heartbroken. He knew that his grandparents didn't have the best of marriages, but he'd always assumed it was because they didn't marry for love. Now he knew that there was another, deeper reason for their issues.

Cora walked over and sat next to him. Taking his hands, she began speaking. "You're fifteen now and you deserve to know the truth. Seventeen years ago, your Aunt Sybil, my youngest daughter, announced her intention to marry a man named Tom Branson. He was working class, Irish Catholic, and our chauffeur."

George whistled, knowing how staunch a traditionalist his grandfather was. He also knew how society looked down on such unions.

Despite her tears, Cora chuckled at his reaction. "Exactly. The announcement was met by shock and disbelief from most of us and by anger from your grandfather."

"I'm not surprised." He took a breath. "And that's when he disowned her?"

"Yes."

Robert interjected then. "I did not disown her. She chose him over us. She made the decision to leave everyone and everything behind."

Cora responded sharply. "You gave her an ultimatum. Branson or us. She chose him because she loved him."

The earl and countess glared at each other, neither willing to back down. Eventually, Robert looked away first.

Cora turned her attention back to her grandson. "She left that night with him, taking a room at The Grantham Arms. They left for Ireland the following afternoon. The last time I saw her was when she walked out of the Drawing Room." Looking down, she added softly, "I should have said something."

George, being closest to her, heard his grandmother's words and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Looking at his mother and grandfather, he asked, "But how did you know that she was Aunt Sybil's daughter? I know that her last name is Branson, but you two didn't."

Mary answered. "She's the spitting image of Sybil. She has the same hair, eyes, skin tone, height. It was as though I was looking at a living picture of Sybil when she was sixteen, seventeen years old."

George nodded his head. He wasn't sure what to say, still processing what he just learned about his family. Yet in the deep recesses of his mind he knew he wanted to meet and get to know these missing family members.

Cora, feeling drained from everything, rose from the sofa and started to walk back to her bedroom. "I'm going to lie down. Please arrange a tray to be brought up for me." With that, she shut the door.

* * *

**Liverpool That Night**

The twelve Bransons were sat around two tables pushed together in the Liverpool Bransons' living room. With three adults and nine children, it was the only way for all of them to sit down to eat together. Sybil, having just arrived, was sitting at the head of the table with Connie on her lap. The youngest of Tom and Sybil's children was used to having her parents around and was now clinging to her mother after a week away from her.

As she wiped some mashed potatoes off of Connie's face, Sybil said, "Sharon, that was an excellent meal. Thank you so much."

Sharon beamed at Sybil. "You're welcome." She looked at the dishes and sighed. "I better clean up these dishes."

"I'll help you," responded Sybil.

Shaking her head, Sharon said, "No, that won't be necessary. Kieran and the older children can help me while Sybbie watches over the younger ones. I think Connie wants you."

Sybil smiled down at her daughter, running a hand up and down her back. Connie yawned and snuggled closer to her mother.

"I'm going to ready her for bed. She's tired." Rising from her seat, she added, "Come on, poppet. Let's get you into your pajamas."

She rose from the chair with her three year old, who instinctively wrapped her arms and legs around her mummy, and walked to the room she would be sharing with her youngest and oldest daughters.

Once in the room, Sybil went about changing Connie with her signature precision. She grabbed Connie's white cotton nightgown and sat on the floor, removing her pale green romper and putting on the nightgown. Yawning herself, Sybil left Connie on the floor with her stuffed rabbit and changed into her own cream and pale blue striped cotton pajamas. She then picked up Connie, who was nodding off, and sat down on the bed with her. The toddler curled into her mother while still clutching her rabbit. Sybil instinctively began to rub her daughter's back while gently swaying. Her daughter sleepily mumbled, "I love you, mummy." Soon Connie was asleep.

Sybil looked at her youngest and thought back to what Kieran told her. Her father and sister had seen Sybbie. She felt a mixture of emotions – sad, angry, happy, anxious, and hurt. She pulled her baby closer and whispered to the now sleeping child, "I promise you, my little one, that I will never, ever throw you out of my life."

At that moment, Sybbie made her presence known. "Mum, are you all right?"

Sybil looked up at her eldest. She blinked and answered, "I'm fine, Sybbie."

However, Sybbie knew something was off and wanted to know what it was. "Are you certain? Uncle Kieran acted oddly at the beach this afternoon. The boy I helped, George, his mother and grandfather acted strangely when they saw me. I feel like there's something that I don't know. Tommy noticed too."

Sybil sighed. "I was hoping to wait until your father gets home next week to discuss this with you, but I see that won't be possible. Come sit. You should be comfortable for this."

Sybbie eyed her mother, slightly afraid at her last sentence. Still, she did as her mother asked, walking around to the other side of the bed. She kicked off her shoes and sat down, scooting close to her mother.

Mother looked at daughter and took a breath. "Part of me was hoping I would never have to tell you this, but fate had other plans. You know that before your father was a journalist he worked as a chauffeur for a family in Yorkshire."

Sybbie nodded but remained silent.

Sybil took a breath. "We always implied that we fell in love while I worked as a nurse at the same house and local hospital during the War." She paused to take another breath. "That wasn't entirely true. We met in 1913 when he began to work for my family. I'm the youngest daughter of Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham."

Her daughter's eyes widened in disbelief and her jaw dropped open in shock.

Sybil chuckled. "I know. It's a bit of shock. I was Lady Sybil Crawley before…"

Her eldest parroted, "Before what?"

"Before I decided to follow my heart. Though I am still a 'lady'." She paused as Connie moved in her sleep, afraid she was about to wake. Once she was settled again, Sybil continued her story.

"Your father and I became friends very quickly. We had similar ideas and beliefs, though my upbringing did breed a fair amount of ignorance about how the world worked. I don't know when it happened, but we fell in love. Neither of us did anything about it because we came from such different backgrounds, but your father managed to find the courage to propose to me when he drove me to VAD training."

"And you said yes and rode off into the sunset with him."

Sybil shook his head. "I wish, but no. I told him I was flattered by his proposal, which wasn't a yes or a no, but it also wasn't something I would say. Of course your father saw through that and offered to leave. I told him not to leave. He didn't thankfully. He waited over two years for my heart and my mind to come to an agreement. The War was over, the officers had left, and it was time to move forward. I realized one night that a life without your father was my worst nightmare." She turned her head to look at her daughter and continued. "I snuck out of the house, went to the garage, and accepted his proposal. It was one of the happiest days of my life."

Sybbie pulled her legs up, resting her head on her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs. "What happened after that?"

"Well, the short story is we had a failed elopement and waited for nearly three months after that for your father to find a new job, which he finally did." She beamed as she remembered. "We told my family that night. My father was furious. He gave me an ultimatum: your father or my family. I chose your father and I've never regretted it."

"Really?"

"Not once. I might have lost my family, but I gained one in the Bransons. Gran Kate was a bit wary of me, but as soon as she found out that my own family disowned me, she became fiercely protective of me. And your uncle proudly took on the role of big brother."

A look of understanding crossed Sybbie's face. "Is that why he acted the way he did on the beach? He realized who those two people were and wanted to protect me."

Sybil nodded. "Yes. The two people were my father and my older sister." She looked down for a moment. "My older sister and I did not part well. She's very much like our father. She believes in the privilege of the aristocracy. That you need a lot of money to live well and be happy."

Sybbie wrapped her arms around her mother. Speaking into her shoulder, her voice muffled, she said, "You're very brave, mum. I don't know if I could ever do what you did."

"You'll never have to." There was a strength and toughness to her mother's voice which caused Sybbie to pull away from her mother. "I promise you that you will never have to choose between us and the man you fall in love with. Your father and I will always support you and be there for you."

Her daughter blinked back tears at the fierceness and love infused in Sybil's words. "Thank you, mum."

Sybil gave her daughter a small smile. "There's no need to thank me. You're my daughter. I love you unconditionally."

"Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome." Sybil sighed. "Let's talk about something else. Your father sent a telegram several days ago. He's on his way back from Egypt and should hopefully be home by Tuesday."

With that, mother and daughter talked for the next half hour, neither mentioning again the family secret, though neither forgot about it too.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Branson Home, London**   
**Tuesday, 25 August 1936**

It was half past twelve in the afternoon when the black cab carrying Tom Branson home arrived outside his house. He grabbed his belongings, hopped out of the car, and quickly paid the driver, including a generous tip. Turning to his house, he smiled, already feeling relaxed. He had missed the place dearly, but he especially missed his wife and children. Tom even missed their black cat Samhain and their Glen of Imaal terrier Faolàn. He traipsed up the walkway and threw open the door.

"I'm back!," he called out, expecting to be greeted by the usual Branson household chaos. Instead, he was met with silence, a unusual occurrence on a Tuesday afternoon in August. Tom kept calling out as he moved further into the house, but still did not receive a response. Once he reached his office, he placed his suitcase on the floor next to his desk.

Leaving his office, he went to the kitchen. Seeing no one there, Tom walked out the back door to the garden. The sight that greeted him brought a smile to his face. There was his beautiful Sybil, wearing his old, light blue shirt, a pair of faded brown trousers, worn work boots, and a straw sunhat sitting on a blanket with Connie, who was wearing an adorable pair of blue gingham overalls and a white cotton shirt. Faolàn was looking into the picnic basket next to Sybil, happily yipping at the food. He continued to smile as he saw his wife and his youngest putting plates, utensils, and napkins on the blanket. As Sybil began to remove food from the basket, Tom decided he needed to interrupt.

"What are you two having for lunch?"

Sybil and Connie looked up when they heard Tom's voice. Connie squealed, "Daddy!" and ran up to him.

Tom bent down, and tapping his right cheek, said, "Kiss," which his youngest enthusiastically did. He then swept her up into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. "How are you, sweetheart?"

Connie beamed at him. "I'm great!" She then wrapped her arms around her father, burying her head into him and spoke into his neck. "I missed you, daddy."

"I missed you too."

Faolàn followed on Connie's heels and barked in happiness at his owner's return.

Sybil came over to him and hugged him. Kissing him on the lips, she added, "I also missed you."

"I missed you as well, love." Looking around, he asked, "Where are the other four?"

"Sybbie went to the British Museum for the day, Tommy and Aidan went to the cinema, and Moira is down the street playing with Gerry and Mary Arden." She smirked at him. "Were you worried when you came in and it was quiet?"

Tom laughed. "I admit it was unusual to come home to a calm house. But I'm thrilled to have lunch with you two, if I may?"

Connie piped up. "Of course you can, daddy!"

"Well, what are we having for lunch?"

"Sandwiches, carrots, and custard with strawberries."

"Sounds delicious. Let's go eat."

With his youngest child still in his arms, he held out his left arm to his wife. She took it and the three of them strolled over to the blanket, with their terrier following. Tom placed Connie on the blanket before he sat down himself. He took off his jacket, carefully folding it and placing it to the side. Faolàn settled down next to Tom, waiting patiently for his lunch.

Once Sybil settled down, she grabbed two sandwiches and turning to Tom, asked, "Ham and cheese or egg salad?"

"Ham and cheese, of course."

She handed him a sandwich and then took out a cheese sandwich for Connie and some sausages and vegetables for their dog. As she took a bite of her egg salad sandwich, Tom asked her a question.

"I didn't tell you when I was getting back. How did you know to have a sandwich prepared for me?"

Sybil continued chewing her bite of food and quickly swallowed. "I wasn't sure if you would be back for lunch, but I hoped. I know you, Tom. You would do everything in your power to get back home as soon as you were able. I decided to make a ham and cheese sandwich because it wouldn't go bad out here." Reaching into the basket next to her, she pulled out a thermos. "I even made some coffee for us to split over dessert."

Tom smiled at her. "One of the many reasons I love you. You always think ahead." He then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, causing Connie to giggle.

Sybil playfully swatted him. "Eat," she playfully ordered.

With that, the Branson trio ate their sandwiches and carrots, talking about what they did while they were apart. Tom discussed the treaty negotiations and how he would need to be at the Foreign Office for the signing of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty in the morning. He asked Connie about Liverpool and got a chatty response about spending time with her cousins and seeing the sea. Sybil talked about the hospital and expressed how grateful she was that Kieran and Sharon allowed the children to visit while she worked the night shift for Dr. Barnes. Once they were done with their main meal, Connie moved over to her father and sat on his lap.

"Custard, please!"

Sybil and Tom chuckled. She took out a bowl and put some custard and fresh strawberries in it for her daughter. Once she received it, Connie went about eating it very slowly. Tom, having seen her eat so neatly in the past, couldn't help asking her a question.

"Little one, why do you eat your favorite dessert so calmly? Your siblings never had the same restraint."

She nodded her head and replied, "You get more eating slower."

Tom chuckled and kissed her on the head. About fifteen minutes later, the custard and strawberries were gone and the thermos was nearly empty. Sybil and Tom quickly cleaned up while their daughter sat in the living room with her stuffed rabbit and their dog as company. As they cleaned, the couple talked.

"It was really nice of Kieran and Sharon to let the children stay with them last week. We should offer to take their four for a week in the future. God knows they could use a break," stated Tom.

Sybil nodded in agreement. "I can't thank them enough, especially because they did it on short notice." She sighed. "I know Dr. Barnes had a family emergency, but I wish that the other doctors on staff would have switched with me so I wouldn't have needed to work the overnight shift. If you had been home, I wouldn't have cared. But I couldn't leave the children alone overnight."

He leaned over and kissed his wife on the temple. "I know. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. It's well known in our department that I rarely work overnight shifts. Dr. Woodburn and Dr. Randall were being difficult by refusing to switch shifts with me." She turned to her husband. "They just don't like me." She then smirked. "However, I got my revenge. I put in for two weeks holiday for Christmastime before they did."

Tom smiled. "Are we going somewhere? Or did you want to make sure they can't enjoy Christmas?"

"Well, they constantly make comments about how they don't have husbands or children to worry about, so I assumed they wouldn't mind spending the holidays with our patients at the hospital."

He laughed. "You minx!" Tom then leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips.

After several heavenly moments, Sybil gently pushed Tom away. "Enough of that for now. We need to talk about something that happened when the kids were in Liverpool."

Sensing the change in his wife's demeanor, he sat down at their kitchen table. "What happened? Are you okay? Anything wrong with the children?"

Taking a seat next to his, Sybil grabbed his hand. "We're fine, but my family saw Sybbie and Tommy."

Tom was shocked. Neither he nor Sybil had seen her family, with the exception of Isobel, since April 1919. "How on earth did that happen?"

Sybil sighed. "On Friday, Kieran and Sharon took the children to Formby for the day. Sybbie noticed a swimmer struggling in the water and dove in to save him. He-"

"She did?!," interrupted Tom. "I'm so proud of her. How does that relate to your family?"

"The boy she saved is George Crawley, our nephew. His mother and grandfather saw Sybbie and based on those looks, Kieran realized who they were. Tommy was with Kieran and Sybbie when my father and Mary saw her."

Tom was surprisingly speechless. He squeezed Sybil's hand, wanting to offer her some comfort. After several minutes in silence, he asked, "What do you want to do?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's been such a long time since I've seen my family, I don't know what I would say to them. I have no regrets about my decision that night. The life we've built together, our five children…I can't imagine my life without any of you and I don't want to."

Tom gently tugged Sybil, pulling her onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her. "Love, whatever you want, we'll do. If you're not ready to see your family, then we won't see them."

Sybil gave him a small, sad smile. "Thank you, darling."

"For what?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she uttered, "For being my Tom."

He kissed her chastely on the lips. They held each other for several minutes, neither speaking. After a bit, Tom asked Sybil a question. "Since our children are sharp, do you think we should finally tell them about your family?"

Sybil looked up at him. "Well, Sybbie already knows. She might have already told Tommy who probably told Aidan."

"Well, we'll sit them down tonight and tell them everything together."

At that moment, Tom felt something rubbing against his ankle. Looking down, he saw the family's black European shorthair cat, Samhain. "There you are. I was wondering where you were hiding."

He reached down to pet the cat, rubbing it's forehead gently. He received a contented purr in response. Sybil took that as her cue to get up.

"Okay. No more of that. I need to harvest some aubergines and beets. Why don't you go change your clothes? You and Connie can sit outside and read while I tend our garden."

Tom rose and did as his wife told him to, quickly climbing the stairs to their bedroom and changing. When he returned to the living room, he surprised Connie by picking her up and carrying her on his shoulders to the bookshelf.

"What do you want me to read to you, poppet?"

She leaned forward, grabbed a green book, and handed it to her dad.

Tom arched his eyebrows in surprise when he saw it was  _Mary Poppins Comes Back_. "You already finished the first one?"

"Tommy read to me. But I like your voice more," she replied.

Tom chuckled and walked them out to the garden, followed closely by Faolàn and Samhain. He smiled on seeing that Sybil had already taken out the lawn chair and placed it underneath the Ash tree. He ambled over to it and removed Connie from his shoulders. Once he sat down, she scrambled onto his lap and waited for him to being reading.

Opening the book, he began to read. "It was one of those mornings when everything looks very neat and bright and shiny, as though the world had been tidied up overnight."

"In Cherry Tree Lane the houses blinked as their blinds went up, and the thin shadows of the cherry trees fell in dark stripes across the sunlight. But there was no sound anywhere, except for the tingling of the Ice Cream Man's bell as he wheeled his cart up and down."

Connie sat rapt in her father's voice. After a half hour or so of reading, she nodded off along with the cat and dog. Tom stopped reading when he noticed her breathing had evened out. Putting the book down, he too soon fell asleep.

* * *

**Downton Abbey**   
**28 August 1936**

It was just after midnight when George left his room and headed for the library. As he had for the past week, George was struggling to fall asleep. Part of this was caused by the tension that filled his ancestral home. Ever since he met his unknown cousin the week before, his grandparents had barely spoken to each other. While it was never said out loud, George knew that his grandfather was sleeping in his dressing room, banished there by his grandmother. He didn't blame her. His grandfather was being particularly obstinate over the issue of his Aunt Sybil. His grandmother wanted to hire a detective to look for her, but he insisted that she knew where they lived and could have come to us by now.

Reaching the Main Hall, George sighed.  _Thank God he's in York for the night._  The house was more relaxed without him here. He continued to the library, pushing open the door only to find his grandmother sitting on the light red sofa.

"Granny what are you doing up?"

She gave him a wan smile. "I was looking at old photos of Sybil. I only take these out when your grandfather isn't around." She paused, gazing at one of the photographs. "I've taken them out to look at often since Formby."

The boy ambled over to his grandmother and sat down next to her. Peering over at the photographs, George saw a young woman the spitting image of Sybbie Branson. While he knew that they looked alike from his mother and grandfather, he had thought they were exaggerating. Now he knew that they weren't. Sybbie Branson was the spitting image of her mother.

"Mama and grandpapa weren't lying. Aunt Sybil," he paused, still not used to the phrase, "Aunt Sybil and her daughter look exactly alike. They're both beautiful."

Cora gave him a small smile. "I know. Sybil's looks came from my father's side of the family. She looks like my Grandmother Rachel." A tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed at her youngest's photo. Softly, she added, "I miss her very much."

George looked at his heartbroken grandmother and not for the first time that week did he get the urge to kick his grandfather. "Well, why don't we look for her and her family?"

Cora's head shot up in surprise. "What?"

"Grandmama, you miss your daughter and I'd like to know my cousins. We can hire someone to look for them. We can ask father to help."

So many emotions came across his grandmother's face. She was torn. On one hand, she desperately desired to see her youngest daughter again. However, on the other hand was her husband and his obstinacy. In the end, her desire, her need to see Sybil and her family won over Cora.

"Let's do it." She pulled him close and hugged him tight. "Thank you."


End file.
